The present disclosure relates generally to the setting of artificial teeth in full dentures (or dental prostheses) in order to improve the productivity in creating dentures and individualizing dentures to a particular patient.
Currently, dentures are conventionally made by inserting acrylic resin teeth or porcelain artificial teeth into a wax bite rim. A dental professional (e.g., dentist, dental technician, denturist or other dental team member) lines up the appropriate teeth and inserts the artificial teeth one by one into a wax bite rim. The dental professional then sculpts the wax around each tooth using an instrument, scalpel or blade to provide the appearance of a gum line. The sculpting provides individualization and creates a natural or realistic appearance to the denture. The process is then repeated for the complementary dental arch (maxillary or mandibular). Because the dental professional inserts each tooth one by one and then sculpts the ““gum line”” around the set teeth, this process is time consuming and takes a significant amount of skill and training.
Dental professionals have a need for a method which increases productivity and the ease of individualization of dentures to a particular patient. The speed at which a dental professional can create dentures can be increased by setting prefabricated tooth segments containing multiple teeth into a wax bite rim instead of setting single teeth one by one. The ease of individualization is increased as well by manipulating the appropriate tooth segments that will be visible in the mouth to create a natural appearance.